The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-03-30

turned. L determined To escape With
the assistance of friendly Indian sentry i
succeeded in doing SO. secured canoe,
and returned safely to Cottonwood alone.
AS soon as my story was known a party
was organized. and went up the river in
search of Diego Dan and Dolores, but re-
turned without having discovered any trace
of either, or single Indian. Another
party, which l led in person, went out with
the same result.
Nothing more could be done. Ny dream
was over; Dolores was dead; Dan was
dead, or he would have returned ere this.
Healt-sick, | returned to my work on the
Ishmdelite.
l had been at work on the paper perhaps
two weeks, and was sitting by the office
window late one afternoon in a deep spell
of sadness when the door was thrown open
and III a moment Diego Dan had caught
me in his arms, crying:
"She is here! Dolores, little one. come
herei"
Dan soon explained all. The very night
Dolores and | attempted to escape he also
gave his captors the slip for the second
time (haying done so once before and been
recaptured), and started down the river.
| During the storm he went ashore until the
wind abated, then resumed his fight.
About sunrise the next morning.
seeing something on low sandbank
near the waters edge that looked,
ut distance, like human body, he
rowed up to it and found to his great sur
prise that it was Dolores, alive but uncon-
scious. He at once took her into his boat,
and she had partially revived, when the
Indians again came down upon him.
Strange to say, death was not the result of
this last escape. Dolores was soon entirely
recovered, when Dan bribed couple of
Indians to aid him in escaping. This time
they were successful III reaching the white
| settlements.
They had just arrived and were glad to
learn of my safety, having regarded me as
lost. Now | was happy again. My dear
est friend was safe, and the dearest, fair
est woman on earth was to be my wife at
the end OF three months. | might have
known it could never be. 1t was too good
| to be true.
Il have a great, great secret to tell you"
said Dolores to me one day.
Then she told me that among the ruins
of the old house on the river bank large
amount of god was buried. We took our
faithful friend Diego Dan into our conf
dence. An indescribable expression passed
over his face as lie listened TO the story;
but lie suggested that we three should visit
the place and secure the treasure, as the
Indians had returned to their homes for
the winter and there would be no danger.
During the sail up the river, however,
Dan was very anxious and watchIul, but
no enemy appeared. We secured the gold
| placed it in the boat and were ready to re.
turn, when Dan, who seemed positively IN
nerved and more and more apprehensive
every moment. suggested that Dolores and
l should row slowly down the stream while
he would walk across the strip of land
which formed the Devils Elbow, and join
us below. 1t was beautiful, clear night,
almost as light as dav; the splendid scene
~ and calm, unruhied river made a most
enchanting scene in the moonlight. We
dl1fted around the elbow with the current.
turned the prov of our boat shoreward, an |
were waiting for Dams signal, when tie
stiffness was broken by the sharp report of
a rifle on the river bank, then another and
another. moment later Diego Dan called
to us and we quickly rowed across 10 where
he was standing on the low, white sand
bank.
Near him n man was lying on the shore,
his face CHASTITY beneath the moon, gasp ny
In "A death struggle. L walked toward him,
and discovered to my astonishment that it
was my guardian, Mr.. Charner.
"Diego Dan, murderer, robber, seducer,"
cried the dying man, Il am going"
Goodbye, my sanity friend" replied
Dan, gaily, as he stepped into the boat to
which / had also returned.
"No; you will come with me-" the wound
ed man gasped. suddenly rising to n sitting
posture, and firing pistol with deadly aim
and effect toward our loved aud trusted
friend.
Dan fell heavily upon the bottom of the
boat, his head struck one OF the cross
pieces violently, and both his eyes rolled
out and ratified upon the boards.
/ knew then why his eyes had always
worn that steel-blue tint-they were glass
Every one knows that we see an object by
simply having It's image reflected back upon
the perceptive faculties of the brain. just
as in camera the image is thrown back
upon the ground glass. That was the Sc
cret Of Dams wonderful long range vision;
his eyes were compound magnitiers. As in
a camera, SO in his eyes the image had al
ways been inver ed, which caused him to
shoot Indians in the legs at n distance.
knelt beside Dan. who whispered:
"Put 'em back. l am dying.
/ knew he referred to the eyes, and
quickly replaced them, when n most Won
derlul and awful thing occurred. In my
haste and excitement 1 had placed his eyes
in backward.
lie writhed In agony, but deaths cold
hand was pressing hard upon him aS my
Dolores and l, gazing upon those steel
blue orbs, read the dying mans Utmost
thoughts, reflected from within, clearly and
plainly.
Now we knew that Mr.. Charner's dying
words of a moment ago were true. Now
we knew that Diego Dams soul was st lined
with crimes innumerable. Immigrants
whom he had guided across the plains into
the power of the Coyote. trappers and
I hunters he had ambushed, friends who had
slept with him. women who had loved him
| their cruel murders were all reflected as
they passed in the dying mans memory
across those steel blne lenses. Then came
the old haunted house and the murder of
! Dolores parents. Now we knew that the
attack had been led by Diego Dan and
| Charner. All! il was long. terrible sight,
/ but we stood SPELL bound and immovable un-
/ til we knew that a sudden quarrel between
/ these two men had saved us. They had
/ planned TO meet Dolore, and me below the
| Devils Elbow, murder MS, and divide tie
! treasure between themselves.
Their wicked plans had failed, however;
they had quarreled suddenly and slam each
other.
We took the bodies aboard and returned
that night TO Cottonwood.
"Did you marry Dolores?" asked.
At this point the old miners companion